Does anyone have any tips or video links that demonstrate how to swap out a dead TPMS without removing the tire? I have a set of CCW 505As matched up with some Hankook V12 tires and I believe two of my four sensors are dead. They may be aftermarket, vs. OEM, however if I can't retrain them, I would like to replace them without having to remove the entire tire.

Someone mentioned on an earlier post that if you can remove the tire bead, you can reach in and remove/replace the sensor. I've never done this and I've never even seen what the sensor looks like because it was pre-installed with the wheel/tire package. I believe they are located at the valve stem correct as that is where we train them with magnets. I checked on You Tube and the video I saw was a non-Corvette with the sensors located opposite of the valve stem, which is not applicable.

Thanks!

 

I had new wheels w/aftermarket sensors that quit working and since I just had them road forced balanced I didn't want to remove the tires to replace the bad sensors with the new Delco's. I took the tires ( I pulled them off myself because I didn't want anyone lifting the car and doing damage) to a local tire shop and they had a machine that just broke the bead down far enough to replace the sensors and then re-inflate without moving the tires. I had 18/19 wheels with low profile Bridgestones that were a little difficult to inflate but they got it done. Cost me 40.00.

ps--replace all 4 with OEM sensors--it's worth the extra $ --- mine have worked flawlessly since.

 

Thanks. That might be my best choice. Since I' running the CCWs, I obviously don't want any damage to the wheels and I probably don't have the right tools in my garage to do it myself.

I will definitely swap out to OEM sensors and probably need to remove only two wheels at a time (front/back).

Does anyone know the part# for the TPMS for the 2004 Corvette? I checked GM Parts House and they have about 12 different part numbers and I would want a full bolt-on replacement kit. Are they the same for front/rear tires?

 

Thanks. Due to the manufacture date, I may be better off ordering these through a local Chevrolet/GM parts counter than via an online vendor.

Also, there should be no problem with the AC Delco OEM sensors fitting aftermarket wheels such as my CCW correct?

 

I bought 4 of the Dorman sensors with a Dorman programmer online; for the same price of 4 Dorman sensors ala carte. Granted, I have a 2000 Corvette with the older & more expensive TPMS system. But I have several cars that have TPMS and custom wheels; so now I can just buy sensors and program them as needed.

 

In hindsight, I wish I would have done that.

 

One other bit of advise--I took the magnets out of an old microwave and programed the sensors while sitting in the car, tagged them which wheel and then had them installed. Worked much better than programming them ON the car.

 

The sensors are attached to the valve stem. After the tire bead is broken away from the wheel, you can just unscrew the retaining nut on the outside and then the sensor will drop out into the inside of the wheel. Simply install a new sensor, torque down the retaining nut, fill the tire back up with air to seat the bead and put the proper air pressure in and then train your sensors.

 

That's what I did...........WAY Cheaper the AC Delco

 

Do you need a special socket to get the nut off? Doesn't look like much room for a regular one.

 

Tire rack is a good source for TPMS sensors. Reasonable prices and OEM (Schrader) specs - no need for anything other than a magnet to program.

 

I did that and it worked fine. Batteries were tired in a few since they all were 2002.

 

Remember if you program them before putting them in the wheels that they need to be done in sequence and then installed in the correct location. If not, your DIC will say RF tire is low when in fact, the RF is fine but the LR is going flat. Or something similar.

I bought mine off of Ebay. Also bought new batteries and put them into the old sensors and sold them on Ebay for about what I paid for generic new ones. My generic ones work, but they're off about 8% on the pressure. So, not as accurate as OEM. I only want to know if a tire is going flat so they work fine for me. Mines a 98 with the old style TPMS so they are considerably more money than for a 2004.

I have a parts grabber magnet I got at Harbor freight. It's on one of those telescoping handles for picking stuff up off the floor. I reprogrammed my tpms this week with it. Plenty powerful enough.

Fwiw, your valve stem IS part of the tpms sensor. So when you put in new tpms, you'll have new valve stems.

 

In checking the parts on line, they also have a Pressure Sensor Nut #15234846. Do I need to order 4 of these as well as the 4 sensors? Since I don't know what type of sensor I'm currently running on the CCWs will the existing nuts work or are the OEM nuts specific to the OEM wheel/OEM sensor?

 

I think mine came with new nuts and washers (seals). They won't be a different thread so I can't really see a reason for new ones other than new ones look nicer.

 

I stopped into a local Chevrolet dealer this afternoon and inquired into four tire sensors using the AC Delco PN above. They had one in stock and would have needed to order three more if I wanted a complete set. However, in looking at the one in stock, the bag had the correct PN identified, but the sensor did not have a clock face or arrow. It did have two product stickers, but no clock face.

Anyway, the dealership wanted over $80 per sensor!

I had already checked the cost with a couple of GM online providers and I can get them for less than half that price. My only question is the clock face reference above that indicates the manufacture date. The sticker on the parts bag listed a 10/2015 manufacture date. Perhaps GM changed these. The service guy told me he orders a lot of these, thus the low inventory, and never saw a sensor with a clock face dial. Did only the earlier (1997-2000) C5s use these type of sensors? Mine is a 2004, so I have the later model, less-expensive sensors. Still funny that you can buy them online for $35 and dealers ask $80. Scary to think what else they overcharge for.

 

I put the new style ones in (Schrader) and they had the clock face on the plastic body. I think the AC ones are the same except for black plastic while the Schraders are orange plastic.

I bought Schrader (who made the OEM ones for GM) and they come with a new nut. I believe the AC ones do not have the nut with the sensor. Another alternative for the nut is Schrader makes a maintenance/repair kit that includes a new seal, nut, and valve core. I bought them at Rock Auto a few years ago for under $1 on sale. I think they may be $1 or $2 now. The Schrader kit will work with the AC sensors. I just found Schrader service kit on sale at Rock Auto for $0.80 compared to about $5 for the nut at GM.

As for your original post about installing without removing the tires... If you break the beads you can not do it by hand. The tire is just too stiff to press the bead down far enough to remove the sensor. You need a tire machine that can hold the bead depressed while the sensor is changed. I have a tire machine that has a bead breaker and I do not want to reach in there while the side mount bead breaker is holding it down for safety reasons. Some better machines have a separate roller arm that will hold the bead down while the wheel is on top of the machine. These can hold it down while the sensor is changed.

Also it will make it easier if you program your new sensors before installation. You can sit in the car and do the programming while the sensors are in your hand. With them out, it is easy to put a magnet on them to train them to the car. Just mark each sensor for which corner of the car they should be mounted on. (Your car will report flat tires until they are mounted in the tires and drive a mile or two)

Good luck.

Edit:
I just checked some new style AC sensors and they have the clock style date stamp on them. These were from '03 that I had loose in the garage. I don't know whether they made a production change and no longer do that or not, but the new style AC did in '03.

 

Pretty much everything. With the advent of Ebay and Amazon, a DIY type person shouldn't ever have to pay the ridiculous markups for a stealership. If they were ever in the ballpark I'd buy stuff there to support local business, but they're just hogs. Screw them.

 

Thanks for the tips. My issue is that two of my four sensors are currently working, so I don't believe I can train the four new sensors until after I remove the wheels correct? Can I train four new sensors in my lap without removing the two working/active sensors?

Since I plan to remove the wheels and bring them into a tire shop that has the equipment to install the new sensors without removing the tire, I guess I could try to program the new sensors after I remove the wheels and before I bring them into the tire shop.

 

Good to know. Thanks!